Contributed Stories

A recent accident at a Holland, MI construction company site proved fatal for one worker.

When a crane tipped over at Holland Equipment Services/A and B Farms on Tuesday, November 1st, the man operating the crane was killed. Allegan County Sheriff’s Captain Chris Kuhn reported to local media outlets that there were no direct witnesses to the incident. Though they know that the victim was operating the crane at the time, how the crane tipped over is a mystery.

In 2013, there were an estimated 4,405 fatal work injuries. Conditions on construction sites can be particularly hazardous due to the nature of the work. Because cranes are typically the largest piece of equipment on industrial work sites, they cause the majority of construction injuries. Although crane accidents can be caused by poor weather and falling debris, most are attributed to human error. They can easily be prevented by following safety regulations like enforcing the proper operational capacity, choosing the right crane for a given job, or simply setting it up correctly.

Although the most recent statistics for crane-related fatalities are from 2006, this type of accident has been fairly prevalent in the news within the past few years. As of 10 years ago, a total of 72 fatal crane-related injuries occurred in one year. Of those 72 fatal accidents, 30 were caused by being struck by falling objects, while only nine were a result of being struck by a crane. The remaining fatalities occurred when an object being carried by the crane fell onto workers below.

In the decade between 1997 and 2006, over 800 workplace fatalities could be attributed to crane accidents. Construction workers tend to be the most prone to these types of accidents, but electricians and welders also have an increased risk.

Consumers in Grand Rapids and around the country are being urged to get a hepatitis A vaccine after a recent recall of potentially contaminated frozen strawberries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have determined that the recent outbreak of hepatitis A in several states across the nation is likely due to a shipment of contaminated frozen strawberries imported from a producer in Egypt. The berries were distributed to several food chains and local restaurants, and could pose a potential health hazard to anyone who consumed them.

One of the affected chains is Tropical Smoothie Café, which has three locations around the Grand Rapids area. So far, no cases of hepatitis A have been reported in Michigan, though there have been over 100 cases confirmed in Virginia, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia.

Local restaurants may also have received the contaminated frozen strawberries, including Biggby Coffee, Salvino’s, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. An updated list of known and possible locations where the strawberries may have been served in Michigan can be found at the State Department of Health and Human Services website.

Every year, about 48 million people in the U.S. are infected with a foodborne illness, with approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. So far, the CDC has reported 52 hospitalizations from the outbreak. Although it is extremely rare, hepatitis A can sometimes be fatal.

Hepatitis A is a contagious disease that causes inflammation of the liver. Symptoms typically begin to appear 15 to 50 days after infection and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine and pale stool, according to the State Health Department.

Thankfully, vaccinations are available that can prevent the onset of the disease, even after ingesting contaminated foods. However, there is only a two-week window in which the vaccination will be effective, so consumers who have consumed strawberry-containing foods or beverages like smoothies, shakes, and sauces, at any of the possibly affected locations since October 22 should seek medical care immediately.

“The immunization is only effective up to 14 days after exposure, so it is important to contact your health care provider while you are in the 14 day window,” said Adam London, Kent County Health Department Administrative Health Officer. “If it has been longer than 14 days, you should be aware of the symptoms of Hepatitis A and if you become ill, contact your health care provider.”

Nearly 120 people in Kent County have already received hep A vaccinations as state and federal officials continue to purge the contaminated frozen strawberries from restaurant shelves. The shot is also part of a routine immunization schedule for many children. Adults over age 40 have the option of a hepatitis A virus-specific immunoglobulin (IG) in lieu of a vaccination.

Flu season is officially upon us, and health officials in Grand Rapids and around the country are urging everyone to get their annual vaccine.

This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed two types of vaccines: a “regular dose” flu shot for people with healthy immune systems, and a “high dose” shot for older adults whose immune systems may have weakened with age.

Every year, many people are hesitant to get the flu vaccine, either because they don’t think they’ll be affected, they dislike needles, or they’re afraid the shot might actually give them the flu. Dr. Daniel McGee, a pediatrician at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, maintains that those fears are unfounded.

“It will never give you the flu, it doesn’t work that way,” he told NBC News. “You can get muscle aches and a little bit of fever after the flu shot, but that just means it’s working. That doesn’t mean it’s giving you the flu.”

Even in the most mild of years, the influenza virus is said to account for 75 million absences from work and 200 million days of reduced workplace productivity. At its worst, it can be lethal, as some families learn the hard way.

Piper Lowery was just 12 years old when she died of the flu. But her mother, Peggy, is working to make sure that no one else has to suffer the same fate. Peggy is raising awareness with the Fight the Flu Foundation by knitting 100,000 infant hats to be donated to hospitals across the country.

“Believe me, I would take her back within a second,” she said. “But there’s been a lot of good that’s come out of this that’s helped other people. She’s impacted so many lives, I cannot tell you. I can’t go back and rewrite history.”

Like the CDC, Lowery wants to encourage everyone six months of age and older to get a new flu shot every year.

Two Michigan men stand separately accused of murdering their partners’ children through violent force that resulted in Shaken Baby Syndrome. But according to their defense attorneys, that diagnosis may not hold up in a court of law.

Shaken Baby Syndrome, also referred to as abusive head trauma, is frequently tied to the presence of three fatal symptoms: bleeding behind the eyes, bleeding along the surface of the brain, and swelling of the brain. Yet the defense teams in both cases argue that those factors alone are not enough to determine physical abuse; they might be caused by falls, accidents, or preexisting injuries. Around 28,000 infants are born with a birth injury every year, for example.

Leo Ackley and Anthony Ball will separately stand trial for first-degree child abuse and murder in Calhoun County Circuit Court. Ackley was previously convicted for the death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old and sentenced to life in prison in 2012, but was granted a retrial next year after the Michigan Supreme Court determined his attorney at the time had neglected to “engage a single expert witness to rebut” testimony from the prosecution’s expert witness.

Ball, meanwhile, is accused of killing his fiancee’s 20-month-old in 2014. His defense attorney, Kimberly Schroder, argues that the injuries may have been caused by a car accident the child was involved in a few days before she died.

In both trials, however, the principal issue in question is whether Shaken Baby Syndrome has enough scientific evidence to be used for legal conviction.

“This case is really about Shaken Baby Syndrome… a highly controversial, unproven hypothesis unfit to serve as the basis for a murder prosecution,” Shcroder wrote in court proceedings.

The prosecution, however, remains unfazed. “This is not a Shaken Baby Syndrome case,” Calhoun County Prosecutor David Gilbert said to the Washington Post. “It implies that if you shake a baby hard enough, injuries occur. That’s not the argument in this case. We’re not claiming that the baby was shaken. We’re claiming the baby was injured.”

Cyber crimes such as credit card fraud and identity theft cost the U.S. approximately $8 billion annually. However, East Grand Rapids Public Safety Department now has the tools necessary to combat the growing rate of cyber crimes plaguing citizens.

Officer Jeff DeJonge was among a small number of officers across the country selected for a five-week intensive training program conducted by the United States Secret Service.

After finishing the program, DeJonge received a case of devices and three computers specifically designed to help seek out cyber criminals.

As more and more of the world relies on credit cards and digital shopping, police departments across the country are becoming increasingly focused on preventing and combating these crimes.

Sending a single officer to the course would cost the city approximately $75,000, but it would seem that this is an issue that concerns the government on a national level as well.

Fortunately, the federal government covered the cost for all officers attending this particular training session.

However, the five-week training course isn’t the only method of combating cyber crimes like fraud.

Oberthur Technologies, a UK-based company, is currently attempting to bring a new type of credit card to the market that would replace the static printed three-digit security code on the back of the card with a mini screen, which displays a random code that changes automatically every hour.

The card is powered by a thin lithium battery designed with a lifespan of three years.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders made a recent appearance in Grand Rapids to advocate support for his one-time rival, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Addressing the crowd at Innovation Central High School in Grand Rapids, Sanders sought to assure his former supporters that the platforms put forth during his bid for the presidential nomination during the Democratic primaries are still alive and well in the Clinton agenda.

“It is by far the most progressive platform in the history of American politics,” Sanders said in a television interview before the event. “It talks about Wall Street’s greed and breaking up the large banks. It talks about transforming our energy system. It talks about raising the minimum wage to a living wage. It talks about health care for all people. It talks about what we have to do to protect a middle class which today is in a lot of trouble.”

During his run for the presidential nomination, Sanders — a self-proclaimed socialist — largely focused on issues of income inequality and the wealth gap. Studies show that household income has grown 26% over the past dozen years, for instance, but the cost of living has also increased 29% during that same period.

Sanders emerged as something of a dark horse during the 2016 primary season, a hitherto obscure Independent senator from a small liberal state who wound up challenging presumptive frontrunner Hillary Clinton until nearly the end of the race. In Michigan, Sanders took a surprise win over Clinton in the March 8 primary with a narrow 49% to 48% vote.

The fervent support Sanders’ campaign garnered from young people in particular has not easily transferred to the Clinton camp. Polls show that only 31% of Millennials support Clinton, prompting Sanders to urge young people to consider their options and their future.

“I would ask young people and all voters to take a hard look at the agenda that Secretary Clinton is bringing forth,” Sanders said. “She is talking about a proposal that I worked with her on to make public colleges and universities tuition-free, which would be of huge help to thousands and thousands of families in Michigan. Raising the minimum wage to a living wage. Pay equity for women. The understanding that climate change is real and we have to protect the planet for our children and our grandchildren.”

Sanders also had strong words of criticisms for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, particularly in light of recent evidence that indicates the billionaire may not have paid any federal income taxes for more than a dozen years because of a declared $916 million business loss in 1995.

“In one day, Donald Trump did more than I did in a year to tell the American people how corrupt the political system is. How corrupt our tax system is, how rigged our economy is,” Sanders said at a speech in Dearborn, just prior to his Grand Rapids visit. “In one day, we learned that this multibillionaire, who owns mansions all over the world… does not pay a nickel in federal income tax, and he’s proud of that. He thinks we can just stiff the middle class.”

Trump also has residences in both New York and Florida, and the move from the former to the latter can save people in high income tax brackets thousands or millions of dollars every year.

Sanders continued: “We’ve got a message for Mr. Trump and the other billionaires: Hillary Clinton is going to be elected president, and theyâ€™re all going to start paying their fair share.”

Sanders will continue to campaign throughout several other states in support of Clinton in the coming weeks. Clinton herself is scheduled to attend a rally and fundraiser on October 10 in Detroit.

The average child will get six to 10 colds every year, which can really put a damper on things. However, many children endure much worse. Children are diagnosed with cancer at alarming rates. Every day, approximately 43 children begin fighting for their lives after doctors discover that they have cancer.

While there have been advances in the treatments of childhood cancers over the years — there is a much higher survival rate for these children than there was half a century ago — the number of childhood cancer diagnoses has not dropped in the last 20 years.

A Western Michigan native, Candie Ritsema, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, when she was 12 years old and was treated with six months of chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant.

Ritsema beat her cancer, and went on to become an oncology nurse in order to help children like her.

â€œ…Iâ€™m kind of glad I didnâ€™t know what to expect,â€ Ritsema said. â€œWhen I look back, if I wouldâ€™ve known how bad things were I think I wouldâ€™ve mentally broke down.â€

She now works in Helen DeVos Childrenâ€™s Hospital in Grand Rapids, where she meets with patients like Carter Piglowski, a five-year-old boy who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He has spinal taps every three months and regular rounds of chemotherapy.

Unlike Ritsema, Carter knows exactly what is going on.

â€œImmediately after he got diagnosed…we started talking to him about it,” said Amanda Piglowski, Carter’s mother. “We told him that heâ€™s going to beat this he knows he will.â€

The advanced treatments available today make Carter’s fight much more promising than her own, which she took on over 20 years ago. She had to travel to a different hospital for her bone marrow transplant, but Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has all the equipment that kids like Carter need to receive the best possible care.

Ritsema’s desire to take her own unfortunate situation and apply it to helping others has given her great joy and fulfillment, and the empathy she has towards children in the oncology unit has helped many find the strength to keep fighting.

In 2014, campers in the U.S. spent more than $1.5 billion dollars on camping equipment, including backpacks and sleeping bags. Now, those in Northern Michigan are spending their camping budgets on something a little bit different.
Called “glampers,” Michigan campers are heading on the road in a unique way. A new Pinterest-worthy camping trend is popping up all over the state, taking those old tin can campers from days past and making them into something new and different.

In light of the large RVs that are reminiscent of moving mansions, these creative little tin can campers bring camping aficionados to simpler times. These little guys come with all the necessities and not much else.

The idea behind them is that a camper won’t need much to enjoy their time on the road.

But these glampers are a little bit different. They boast retro fittings to make a temporary home much more exciting than the typical RVs one can find on the market. Think turquoise ovens, lemon yellow cabinetry, olive green tables, and hula girls swaying in the windows.

These glampers are around 13-feet-long, and can easily be pulled by any vehicle with a towing hitch. Glampers can range between $700 to $20,000 depending on their quality, size, and interior furnishings.

Don’t have a glamper but would like to enjoy the experience? No worries. Bella Sloviva resort boasts 320 campsites that allow guests to stay in safari tents, tree houses, glampers, and converted airliners. Included in the price is a concierge service and full catered meals.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made a surprise stop in Grand Rapids on Friday while campaigning through various parts of Michigan. He and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani paid a visit to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum before attending a luncheon with donors at the J.W. Marriott hotel downtown.

The Ford Museum was already experiencing higher than average traffic due to visitors attending the ArtPrize exhibition. Trump’s unanticipated arrival caused both excitement and delays among the crowd.

“That was pretty cool,” said Jeff Hearth, a banker from Clarksville who supports Trump. “To me, it just seems scary that people get embedded with the corruption in Washington, and Donald Trump is not part of that.”

The latest Michigan polls show Trump trailing Democratic party nominee Hillary Clinton by an eight-point margin. In West Michigan, however, Trump leads Clinton with 41.2% of support compared to her to 23.6%.

The GOP presidential hopeful has roused controversy within his own party by refusing to release detailed information about his tax returns or personal health. Clinton, too, has had to dispel rumors about her health after a bout of pneumonia put her off the campaign trail for a few days earlier this month. Trump, aged 70, and Clinton, 68, both belong to the Baby Boomer generation — 60% of whom will be managing chronic health conditions by the year 2030.

Trump and Mayor Giuliani offered flowers at the grave sites of former President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, outside of the Grand Rapids museum, though not all locals were pleased with the gesture.

“Gerald R. Ford was a Grand Rapids man of sterling character and humble demeanor who would have no truck for Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump,” Tweeted resident Christian Bell.

As Trump continues his tour through Michigan, Clinton is campaigning in Florida this weekend. Her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will appear at an organizing event in Traverse City on Friday.

Even though replacing standard windows with those that meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations will lower your energy bills by up to 15%, one Grand Rapids company has found a way to cut costs while keeping your windows exactly where they are.

John Slagter, president of Grand Rapid’s Mackinac Technology Co., was trying to focus on concerns his customers had over rising energy costs in their home. He was previously focused on developing a vacuum insulation panel that would be installed in walls, when his attention shifted to windows.

This was five years ago. Now Slagter is on his way to commercialize a new energy efficient product that can be easily installed on top of existing windows. These window covering panels are made from a durable polymer pane that feels like a plastic but bends to the touch, and can be custom fit onto any size window frame.

There are even multi-pane units that can increase insulation value and energy savings even more.

To put this in perspective, an R-value of styrofoam is five, and a thick six inches of fiberglass has an R-value of 13. One thin, single pane of Slagter’s invention can have an R-level of as high as 13.

Not only is this window pane becoming increasingly popular in both the residential and commercial construction sectors, the U.S. military is showing interest. Earlier this month, Slagter signed a $1 million dollar contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersâ€™ Research and Development Center to develop a product for the U.S. Department of Defense’s facilities.